Latest Storm System Brings Rain, High Surf To Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – The Bay Area on Tuesday was bracing for the latest storm system set to bring another round of rainy, windy weather and dangerous surf to Northern California.

While the storm didn’t arrive early enough to have an impact on the first part of the evening commute, radar showed the system closing in on the Bay Area as of 6 p.m.

In addition to significant precipitation and high winds, the system will bring high surf to the region. A high-surf advisory is in effect until 9 a.m. Wednesday morning with waves rising as high as 18 to 24 feet in some areas. Extra caution is advised for anyone near the surf zone as these large waves will be capable of sweeping people into the frigid and turbulent ocean water.

Some people in Marin County weren’t taking any chances ahead of the storm’s arrival. Residents in San Rafael have been stocking up at a local sand bag station.

In the wake of last weekend’s heavy rains that have already saturated the ground, falling trees have become a real concern with this storm.

A giant eucalyptus tree toppled in San Rafael earlier Tuesday afternoon. The saturated ground and gusty winds could cause more trouble.

The danger posed by falling trees was also leave East Bay residents on edge.

If anyone knows about the danger of a falling tree or branch, its Pleasanton resident Jana Halle.

She told KPIX 5 a tree branch that fell on her house last month weighed 2,000 pounds.

“I thought to myself, ‘That’s either a bath tub coming through the ceiling or a tree branch.” Because we’ve had three trees already fall in this house,” said Halle.

Now she is bracing for the next storm and surveying her yard.

Steve Duncan is an arborist with Atlas Tree Service. He says he has gotten a number of calls to survey potentially dangerous trees.

“The next couple of days will get interesting, because now it is really getting wet,” said Duncan.

While the damage on some trees can be visible, damage to others can go undetected because the decay is underground at the roots.

“Look at the root crown. If it’s a yellow and puffy-looking growth, that’s very dangerous,” said Duncan.

Halle said that while it’s pricey to remove a tree, it’s cheaper and much safer to take it down before it comes crashing down on its own.

“My mom was inside. If this happened 10 hours earlier, we probably would not have been here. Although she wouldn’t hear that well and it could land on her,” said Halle.

This storm system won’t be the end of the wet weather for the Bay Area. Rain is projected to soak the region during the coming weekend with another series of storms through Sunday.